The Flash #791 Review

   

    

Written by: Jeremy Adams
Art by: Roger Cruz, Wellington Dias
Colors by: Luis Guerrero
Letters by: Rob Leigh
Cover art by: Taurin Clarke
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: January 17, 2023


The Flash #791 continues the One-Minute War as the Fraction's forces begin their ground assault to take over Earth. Can the speedsters band together and come up with a strategy in time?

Is It Good? Well, The Flash #791 is fine. It feels (or should feel big), the premise is interesting (an alien invasion that moves as fast as the Speedsters), and there are a few heartwarming family moments. Technically, all the piece parts are present for a big show. However, the issue needs to be addressed in two key areas.

When we last left the Flash family, the Fraction arrived and engulfed the Earth in an energy wave that slowed everyone down or sped speedsters up. The science behind the attack isn't explained, so you'll just have to go with it.

The speedsters have begun to shake off the shock of the sneak attack and started collecting themselves to regroup. Oh, and Iris West is "dead." The action is solid, the pacing and dialog are on-point, and the net result is a good-to-very-good comic.

But those two key areas hold the issue back from being as big as it could be. First, the art is good, but it doesn't sell the drama. Iris is dead, and while her death is treated in the script as a hard-hitting loss, the facial acting of the characters doesn't reasonably project the needed shock and grief. The acting almost gets there but stops just shy of the finish line.

Second, the Fraction is as one-dimensional as you can get. The villains, who apparently never caught the interest of any intergalactic group (*cough*Green Lanterns*cough*), attack the Earth to steal our minerals. The Fraction isn't motivated to attack by anything other than desire, making it a flat motivation. Further, the Fraction decides to unleash a beast when they discover Earth has multiple speedsters, and Miss Murder is introduced, looking like a bad Batman Who Laughs knockoff. In short, the villains are powerful but poorly motivated and shallowly executed.


About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Bits and Pieces:

The Flash #791 is a better-than-average DC comic that delivers plenty of action and revelations. However, the art doesn't sell the drama the script calls for, and the villains are increasingly one-dimensional.

7/10